Once thought to infect only cows, the Gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus agalactiae (or “group B streptococcus”, abbreviated to “GBS”) is now known to cause serious disease, bacteremia and meningitis, in immunocompromised individuals and in neonates. There are two types of neonatal infection. The first (early onset, usually within 5 days of birth) is manifested by bacteremia and pneumonia. It is contracted vertically as a baby passes through the birth canal. GBS colonises the vagina of about 25% of young women, and approximately 1% of infants born via a vaginal birth to colonised mothers will become infected. Mortality is between 50-70%. The second is a meningitis that occurs 10 to 60 days after birth. If pregnant women are vaccinated with type III capsule so that the infants are passively immunised, the incidence of the late onset meningitis is reduced but is not entirely eliminated.
The “B” in “GBS” refers to the Lancefield classification, which is based on the antigenicity of a carbohydrate which is soluble in dilute acid and called the C carbohydrate. Lancefield identified 13 types of C carbohydrate, designated A to O, that could be serologically differentiated. The organisms that most commonly infect humans are found in groups A, B, D, and G. Within group B, strains can be divided into 8 serotypes (Ia, Ib, Ia/c, II, III, IV, V, and VI) based on the structure of their polysaccharide capsule.
Group A streptococcus (“GAS”, S. pyogenes) is a frequent human pathogen, estimated to be present in between 5-15% of normal individuals without signs of disease. When host defenses are compromised, or when the organism is able to exert its virulence, or when it is introduced to vulnerable tissues or hosts, however, an acute infection occurs. Diseases include puerperal fever, scarlet fever, erysipelas, pharyngitis, impetigo, necrotising fasciitis, myositis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome.
S. pyogenes is typically treated using antibiotics. Although S. agalactiae is inhibited by antibiotics, however, it is not killed by penicillin as easily as GAS. Prophylactic vaccination is thus preferable.
Current GBS vaccines are based on polysaccharide antigens, although these suffer from poor immunogenicity. Anti-idiotypic approaches have also been used (e.g. WO99/54457). There remains a need, however, for effective adult vaccines against S. agalactiae infection. There also remains a need for vaccines against S. pyogenes infection.
It is an object of the invention to provide proteins which can be used in the development of such vaccines. The proteins may also be useful for diagnostic purposes, and as targets for antibiotics.